Department for Transport

Roads: Safety

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce road casualties.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government is committed to improving the safety of all road users. Reducing the numbers of those needlessly killed and injured on our roads is a key priority for the Department. Our recent publication of the Road Safety Statement – ‘A Lifetime of Road Safety’ describes in some detail the Department’s intention to undertake a set of actions in the coming years aimed at improving road safety. The effectiveness of these measures will be kept under review.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Accountancy

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings thePermanent Secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has had, in each of the last 18 months, with (1) Deloitte, (2) EY, (3) KPMG, and (4) PwC.

lord duncan of springbank: Within the last 18 months, the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has had two meetings with Deloitte, two meetings with EY, two meetings with KPMG, and five meetings with PwC.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

House of Lords: Catering

lord naseby: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the Services Committee intends to publish a report on the trial of the revised Bishop’s Bar services which started in October 2019; and if so, when.

lord naseby: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what consideration the Services Committee (1) has given, and (2) plans to give, to the re-introduction of hot toasted sandwiches in the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar.

lord naseby: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans he has to ensure that plated salad is served in the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar.

lord naseby: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what plans he has to revert to the pre-October 2019 House of Lords Bishop’s Bar food service, in particular the provision of customisable salads and sandwiches.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond to these questions on his behalf.At its meeting on 11 July 2019 the Services Committee agreed to trial a revised service in the Bishops’ Bar, taking effect from the return of the House in September. Due to the dissolution and recess periods the Committee agreed that the trial be extended until April 2020.During the trial period food preparation has been removed from the Bishops’ Bar, due to health and food safety concerns. This has meant that it is no longer possible for staff to customise salads and sandwiches at the point of sale. The Committee also agreed to the removal of toasted sandwiches from the Bishops’ Bar as part of the trial. A variety of toasted sandwiches remain available for purchase in the River Restaurant, with the choice of eating in or taking away. Two plated salad options have remained on offer in the Bishops’ Bar during the trial period and should the trial changes be made permanent these plated salad options will remain.The Committee did not introduce these changes lightly. They were the subject to several discussions by the Committee; the minutes of which are available on the Committee’s webpage.A report on the trial and future provision of services in the Bishops’ Bar is expected to be considered by the Committee at its April meeting. Once the Committee has had the opportunity to consider the report, it will be made available on the Committee’s webpage.

House of Lords: Catering

lord naseby: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the food offered in the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar prior to October 2019, particularly the customised items prepared by the chef, complied with the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive’s Approved Code of Practice and Guidance Safe work in confined spaces, published in 2014.

lord naseby: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what estimate he has made of the number of cases of reported food poisoning as a result of food consumed from the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar in each year from 2009 to October 2019.

lord naseby: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker whether the Services Committee intends to review the methodology used by any food safety auditors who were tasked with evaluating the House of Lords Bishop’s Bar.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chair of the Services Committee to respond to these questions on his behalf.Under the definition in the Approved Code of Practice, the Bishops’ Bar would not be considered a “confined space”, a term which should not be confused with a small space. When the Services Committee considered the required changes to the Bishops’ Bar in July, it accepted that the Administration had a duty of care towards staff working in the outlet and that the current conditions for food preparation were unsuitable.We have no record of any incidents of food poisoning as a result of food consumed from the House of Lords Bishops’ Bar between 2009 and October 2019.The Services Committee has no plans to review the methodology used by the food safety auditors who evaluated the Bishops’ Bar.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Sewage: Rivers

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental damage caused by spillages from combined sewer overflows releasing raw sewage into rivers; and what plans they have to prevent such spillages.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: Combined sewers that carry surface water from roofs and roads together with sewage from homes are a common sewage system. On occasion, storm sewage discharges occur from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) when the risk of sewer flooding is high and pipework capacity is exceeded. This is done to reduce the flood risk to homes and businesses. The Environment Agency (EA) has looked at the reasons for rivers not achieving good ecological status and found that about 3% of water bodies are failing due to the impact of CSOs. To prevent spillages, between 2015 to 2020 water companies are installing monitors on up to 13,000 of the 15,000 CSOs in England. These will measure how often and for how long they operate, helping inform where improvement works may be required and providing information to the public about spills. This information has been used to help develop the environmental programme that the water companies will be implementing over the next five years. This includes further monitoring of CSOs, over 700 investigations and more than 200 schemes for environmental improvement or to reduce the spills from CSOs.

Home Office

Islamic State: British Nationals Abroad

lord anderson of ipswich: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many persons formerly resident in the UK are known to have returned to the UK after travelling to the so-called Islamic State in Iraq or Syria; how many such persons have been subject to Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures and/or Temporary Exclusion Orders; how many such persons have been convicted of terrorist offences since their return; how many such convictions are for offences committed while abroad with the so-called Islamic State; and how many such convictions are for offences committed after their return to the UK.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government’s number one priority remains the safety and security of its citizens. All of those who have returned have been investigated and the majority have been assessed to pose no, or a low security risk. There have been around 40 convictions of individuals following their return from Syria, for a range of offences connected to their activities overseas or subsequent counter-terrorism investigations.There are a number of tools available to law enforcement and security agencies to manage the threat posed by returning UK citizens suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activity abroad including Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures (TPIMs) and Temporary Exclusion Orders (TEOs).The total number of TEOs imposed in 2017, the first year the power was used, was nine. As at 31 May 2018, there were eight TPIM notices in force, seven of which related to British Citizens. These figures were published in the 2018 Disruptive and Investigatory Powers Transparency Report. Due to national security considerations, it would not be appropriate to provide a further breakdown of these figures.

Right of Abode: Hong Kong

lord craig of radley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Bates on 26 January 2016 (HL4968), whether they have completed their assessment of the request of former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and the Hong Kong Royal Navy Service for the right of abode in the UK; and if so, what was the outcome of that assessment.

baroness williams of trafford: Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme, that was introduced in 1990 and ran until 1 July 1997, a limited number of Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as a British citizen.We are giving careful consideration to representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.

Domestic Abuse

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to combat any rise of domestic violence perpetrators using technology to control their partners.

baroness williams of trafford: Our landmark Domestic Abuse Bill was announced alongside the Queen’s Speech on 19 December 2019. Subject to parliamentary approval, we are fully committed to enacting this landmark legislation at the earliest opportunity and implementing it quickly. Technologically facilitated abuse will be included within the statutory guidance that will accompany the Domestic Abuse Bill.We have also provided Refuge with £250,000 of funding through the Tampon Tax to provide specialist nationwide support to staff and survivors who experience technologically facilitated abuse. We have also provided Northumbria PCC with £646,000 through the Home Office Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Service Transformation Fund for a project which includes work to tackle cyberstalking.

Marriage Certificates

lord trefgarne: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to propose amendments to the provision of the Civil Partnership, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 as they relate to the issue of marriage certificates by churches immediately following the ceremony in question.

baroness williams of trafford: The General Register Office (GRO) is currently working on the secondary legislation, IT systems and administrative processes that are required to implement the marriage schedule system, which includes the issue of certificates following a ceremony.GRO continues to engage interested stakeholders on these matters, including the Church of England and Church in Wales.

Police: Biometrics

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to formally respond to the reportby the Information Commissioner's OfficeICOinvestigation into the how the police use facial recognition technology in public places, published on 31 October.

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to develop a statutory, and binding, code of practicefor the use of live facial recognition technology, as recommended by the Information Commissioner.

baroness williams of trafford: The High Court found in September 2019 that there is a clear and sufficient legal framework for police use of live facial recognition technology. The framework includes police common law powers to protect the public, data protection and human rights legislation and the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice.The Government has no plans to formally respond to the Information Commissioner’s Office’s report.

Police: Biometrics

lord strasburger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total cost of the Metropolitan Police’s recent trial of automated facial recognition technology, including preparatory work, and encompassing equipment and manpower costs; and how many staff were required for a typical deployment during the trial, broken down by role.

lord strasburger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, during the recent Metropolitan Police trial of automated facial recognition technology, how many individuals on the system’s watchlist were correctly identified; how many alerts resulted in (1) an arrest, and (2) a subsequent conviction; and for which offences.

baroness williams of trafford: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are operationally independent of government.They have disclosed the following information:CostsThe MPS have records of Live Facial Recognition software and associated hardware at a current total cost of £240,000.The MPS have no record of other costs relating to preparatory work or associated manpower.OutcomesDuring their trials ten individuals on the system’s watchlist were correctly identified, resulting in eight arrests (these figures discount alerts generated by test subjects).The offences for which they were arrested were: false imprisonment; breach of non-molestation order; two counts of rape; discharge of firearm; breach of restraining order and harassment; domestic assault and theft; robbery and assault on police.Two of these arrests have resulted in convictions so far (breach of non-molestation order and assault on police).

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Football: Racial Discrimination

lord bourne of aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they supporting work to combat racism at football grounds (1) with the English Football League, and (2) more generally.

baroness barran: Racism or any form of discrimination has no place in football or society, and we must confront this vile behaviour. The Government supports the steps the football authorities, including the English Football League, have taken for the current season to combat discrimination. This included actions targeted at and around football grounds such as: improving reporting systems; providing better training and support for referees and stewards; and improving the quality of CCTV around stadia. However it is clear there is more to do. The Minister for Sport recently held meetings with both the English Football League and the Football Association in which he discussed their action on discrimination. He has asked the football authorities to report back with a more detailed update about their work on this important issue before considering future government support.

Gaming: Equality

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to promote diversity in the UK gaming industry.

baroness barran: The government recognises the critical importance of diversity in the video games industry, and the Creative Industries as a whole. We welcome the games industry’s Raise The Game diversity pledge launched on 4 February 2020. The pledge is backed by companies such as Microsoft XBox, Facebook, EA, Jagex and King and the aim is to sign up at least 200 employers by 2021. This builds on the Creative Industries Council’s Diversity Charter, announced in July 2019, which commits to engaging leaders across the creative industries to champion diversity and inclusion.

Internet: Safety

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made a study of the effectiveness of legislation in force in (1) France, and(2) Germany, to protect consumers from online harms.

baroness barran: Ministers and officials meet with their international counterparts, including the French and German governments, on a range of issues, including work to tackle online harms. Many of the UK’s international partners are developing new regulatory approaches to tackle online harms. As set out in the Online Harms White Paper, the Government will continue to share experiences and work with partners internationally as we develop our own approach.

Film

baroness kennedy of cradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the support provided by the BBC for film production in the UK.

baroness barran: The BBC makes an important contribution to film in the UK. The BBC Board is responsible for ensuring the BBC meets the requirements set in the Charter and Framework Agreement, including those on support for film production. The British Film Institute releases information on Public Investment in Film in the UK and the financial contribution of organisations including the BBC. In 2017/18, BBC Films contributed £11.3m to the public funding available for UK film production. 



BFI: Public Investment in Film in the UK 
(PDF Document, 1.93 MB)

Facebook

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Facebook's plans to introduce encrypted messages across its messaging applications.

baroness barran: The UK Government is in favour of strong encryption: it is critical to protect UK citizens’ data online and billions of people use it every day for a range of services including banking, commerce and communications. Facebook’s encryption proposals as they stand would have a serious impact on the vital work Facebook currently does to tackle the most serious illegal content and activity on its platform, including child sexual exploitation and abuse and terrorism.Under the new Online Harms legislation, a duty of care will make platforms take more responsibility for the safety of their users, and tackle harm caused by content or activity on their services. Facebook should not implement end-to-end encryption across its messaging services without ensuring that there is no reduction to user safety and without including a means for law enforcement to obtain lawful access to the content of communications. We are committed to working with Facebook to ensure it meets its responsibility to keep users safe, and those conversations are in progress.

Rugby

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of rugby league in England and Wales.

baroness barran: Data from Sport England’s Active Lives Adults and Children and Young People Surveys indicates that:62,900 adults aged 16+ in England took part in rugby league twice a month over the May 2018 to May 2019 period.684,500 children and young people in England in school years 1-11 took part in a form of rugby at least once a week over the 2018-19 academic year. Through Sport England, since 2017, government has to date invested nearly £11m in grassroots rugby league, including investment in the Rugby Football League Ltd, together with investment in specific community rugby league projects. Over this time period, Sport England has invested a further £9.1m in multi-sport projects where rugby league is one of the sports benefitting. The government is investing up to £15m towards the hosting of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, and up to £10m in grassroots facilities to help drive a legacy from the event. Sport is a devolved matter and Sport Wales has responsibility for supporting grassroots rugby league in Wales.